Low-cost airline Fastjet announced that it will launch its first international route, between its main hub in Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) and Johannesburg (South Africa), on 27 Sept 2013. The airlines's Facebook friends are getting first option to book flights on 31 July 2013. Seats will go on general release on 01 Aug 2013. Fastjet will initially operate three flights per week between the two destinations, using their Airbus A319 for the approx. 3.5 hour flight. In line with demand, the airline will increase the frequency. Fastjet expects to add further international destinations including Lusaka (Zambia) to its flying programme in the near future.

29 July 2013

Everyone who has been to Kampala, Uganda and/or East Africa has probably had a "Rolex". Not the watch, of course, but one of Uganda's most favourite street foods. In the video below, Ronnie and David show us how to make one of your own at home. Just make sure that you use a cutting board - not everyone has David's knife skills.

Kudos to Send a Cow,
a NGO from the UK that works hand in hand with poor families, teaching
them the skills they need to build new lives free from poverty and
hunger following the "Pass it On" principle.

26 July 2013

Awesome news for travellers and all locals in Cape Town. From today (26 July 2013), everyone has access to free Wi-Fi in the Company’s Garden. Users are allocated 100MB of data per day. To access the service within the parameters, you will be directed to a URL where you can log in. The project, which is a test case for the provision of further free Wi-Fi services for the public across Cape Town's CBD, is a joint venture between the City of Cape Town, Cape Town Partnership, Iziko Museums and Wi-Fi specialists Connected Space.

25 July 2013

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that the eighth annual South African National Parks Week will be from 9 to 13 September 2013. During the five days, South African day visitors will have free access to most of the 21 national parks in the country. The only excpetions (due to the seasonality of their product offering) are Namaqua National Park, the Boulders section of the Table Mountain National Park and Tankwa Karoo National Park. It should be noted that free access to parks does not in include free access to accommodation facilities and other tourist activities.

The national parks, managed by SANParks, participating in the 2013 South African National Parks Week:

The flag carrier of the United Kingdom, British Airways, announced that it will bring the Airbus A380, the world's largest passenger aircraft, to South Africa. From 12 Feb 2013 the airline will initially operate three A380 services a week to Johannesburg. This will increase from 10 March 2014 to six flights per week. These flights will be part of British Airways' normal schedule to Johannesburg. Tickets are already on sale! Awesome!

British Airways’A380s will accommodate 469 customers across four cabins. Customers in First will be seated at the front of the main deck. The cabin will offer 14 seats and is evolved from the current First class with 30 per cent more personal space and 60 per cent more personal stowage.

24 July 2013

According to the latest statistics released by the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa
has lost 514 rhinos to illegal poaching since the beginning of
2013. Of the rhinos poached, 321 rhinos were killed in the Kruger National Park, 54 in Limpopo, 53 in North West, 43 in KwaZulu-Natal, 36 in
Mpumalanga, 3 in Gauteng and 2 in the Eastern Cape.
The number of people arrested on rhino poaching-related charges
countrywide totals 143.

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) is urging members of the public to report incidents of rhino poaching
or any tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.

German airline Condor (Condor Flugdienst) will resume its seasonal nonstop flights between Fankfurt (Germany) and Cape Town (South Africa) from 12 October 2013. The airline will operate two weekly flights between both destinations on board a Boeing 767-300.

Condor is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Thomas Cook,
one of the world’s largest tour operators. The airline is currently
flying over six million passengers to around 75 destinations in Europe,
Asia, Africa and America.

The Amboseli National Park in Kenya is the country's second smallest national park covering an area of only about 398km², but the approx. 1400 elephants in the Amboseli ecosystem usually roam over an area of 5000km² across the Maasai community lands, sometimes conflicting with local people. The elephant’s most favourite route to travel, the journey they have made for millennia, is across the border with Tanzania and onto the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro.

After much discussion and on-going scientific research by the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and its partners, the Olguluilui/Ololarashi Group Ranch (OOGR), a local Maasai community, the Kitenden Corridor Conservation Area (KCCA) land owners and the IFAW now signed a lease agreement, which adds about 16,000 acres of land called the "Kitenden Corridor" to the Amboseli National Park. The land covered by the agreement opens up a safe corridor for the elephants to make their way across the border. On the Tanzanian side of the border, a similar corridor already exists.

22 July 2013

We just learned that the low water season at the mighty Zambezi River in Victoria Falls(Zimbabwe) and Livingstone (Zambia) is expected to open on 24 or 25 July 2013. During low water season the rafting adventure begins just below the falls at rapid #1 and takes you on a 26 km journey over 19 rapids. The river is a pool drop river, which means you will have sections of relatively calm water in between the rapids; a great time to take in the scenery around you. The biggest rapids on the Zambezi River are officially defined as Grade 5 by the British Canoe Union.

Namibia's flag carrier, Air Namibia, recently announced that it will increase the number of flights between Windhoek and Angola's capital Luanda. From 01 August 2013 the airline will operate a 7th flight per week between the two destinations. Air Namibia will service the additional flight on Tuesdays on board an Airbus A319.

19 July 2013

According to the latest statistics released by the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa
has lost 488 rhinos to illegal poaching since the beginning of
2013. Of the rhinos poached, 300 rhinos were killed in the Kruger National Park, 53 in North West, 52 in Limpopo, 43 in KwaZulu-Natal, 35 in
Mpumalanga, 3 in Gauteng and 2 in the Eastern Cape.
The number of people arrested on rhino poaching-related charges
countrywide totals 140. Of the 142 alleged poachers arrested, 62 have been caught in the Kruger National Park and 30 in KwaZulu-Natal. A total of 27 suspected poachers have been arrested in Limpopo, 11 in North West province, nine in Mpumalanga and three in Gauteng. Five people have been charged with being couriers.

The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) is urging members of the public to report incidents of rhino poaching
or any tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.

Great news for travellers planning to visit Tanzania as well as for the Tanzanian tourism industry. After consultations with the Tourism Confederation of Tanzania (TCT), the government of Tanzania announced that it amended the current national budget and will not enforce the value added tax (VAT) on tourist services, such as accommodation, park fees, ground transportation, tour guiding, game driving and water safaris etc. According to the original national budget 2013/14, the government acutally planned to eliminate the VAT exemption on tourist services. The VAT in Tanzania is 18%. Uganda, now it is up to you!

South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela turns 95 years on 18 July 2013. The date not only marks his birthday, but also an annual international day in honour of Madiba. Mandela Day, which was officially declared as such by the United Nations in November 2009, is not meant as a public holiday. The day is meant as a day to honour the legacy of Nelson Mandela and his values, through volunteering and community service.

Mr Mandela gave 67 years of his life fighting for the rights of humanity. All we are asking is that everyone gives 67 minutes of their time, whether it’s supporting your chosen charity or serving your local community.

The infographic below explores Nelson Mandela's legendary life and achievements from a visual perspective. Get well soon, Madiba!

These long term volunteer positions offer independent, ambitious volunteers the chance to work for one year in and around South Africa’s most famous national parks.
If you are seeking a change of direction or a long term, highly immersed experience in the field of conservation and environmental education these long term internship positions are for you. South African National Parks (SANParks) manages a system of 20 national parks that represent the indigenous flora, landscape and associated cultural heritage of the country. You will be placed with the ‘People and Conservation’ department according to priority projects and where your skills are most needed.

Interns play an integral part in the implementation of new policies and programmes developed by SANParks to integrate local communities into the conservation of the natural and cultural heritage sites within the parks. These national parks offer diverse adventure tourism opportunities such as game viewing, bush walks, canoeing and a chance to experience the history and culture of South Africa. The work carried out by interns is essential for the long term conservation of these areas which are both important to South Africa and the people who live alongside them. (via responsibletravel.com)

Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has published the on-time performance results of domestic airlines’ flying out of OR Tambo in Johannesburg, Cape Town International Airport, and Durban's King Shaka International Airport in June 2013.
On-Time Performance is measured by comparing the actual off-block time
(when aircraft pushes back) against the airline schedule time for a
departing flight. The measurement is done in accordance with the IATA
(International Airlines Transport Association) universal standard
benchmark with considers a 15 minute deviation from the scheduled time
as an on-time departure.